Nesting (Demonic Games Book 1)

by Sara Clancy

  “I thought your name was Abe,” Mihail whispered as the couple began to argue amongst themselves.

  “Zeisele is Yiddish,” Abe replied in a low tone. “It means ‘little sweetie’.”

  “Little?” Mihail asked. “How long since she’s seen you?”

  “Who’s that?” The speaker of Abe’s mobile crackled as his parents spoke in unison.

  “Mihail Vaduva.” Waving him closer, he turned the screen so he got his first glimpse of Abe’s parents. It was impossible to tell which had given him his height, but other features were instantly recognizable. Wild copper hair from his mother, and intense blue eyes from his father. Whoever was responsible for the fangs was a mystery.

  “Since he has apparently forgotten his manners, I’m Duncan,” Abe’s father said. “And this is my wonderful, beautiful, intelligent–”

  “Ya still ain’t getting the last slice of pie,” she muttered.

  Duncan’s smile fell. “This is Esther.”

  “Can ya scooch a little closer?” Esther asked. “It’s hard to make you out in the shadows.”

  Mihail could mark the exact moment that they could see him because Esther let out a long ‘aw’.

  “Oh, isn’t he just the cutest little thing? It’s almost a shame I have to hit you in the face.”

  “Well,” Mihail glanced up to Abe. “You really don’t have to.”

  “Yeah, actually we do,” Duncan said. “You’re leading our son into a suicidal situation, after all.”

  “But it’s still a pity,” Esther noted.

  Duncan nodded. “He did have nice teeth.”

  “Can I remind everyone of the senior citizen currently in a hell house?” Abe cut in.

  What followed was a quickly devolving argument amongst the Claymont family. Accents grew thicker as they argued until it was impossible for Mihail to follow along. He wasn’t sure who, if anyone, was on his side. It left him anxiously glancing back at the castle. On his eighth check, he noted the figure standing on the battlement, staring down at them. Motionless and solid. A spike of fear snapped through him until he managed to make out the features by the firelight.

  “Bunica Draciana!” he called out and waved, hoping to calm any fears that she might have at seeing strangers at her door.

  Abe twisted around to look up at her. The sudden silence made the bats' screams all the louder. Then all three of them cursed in unison.

  “What?” Mihail asked.

  “Well, we can’t ignore her if we see her,” Esther said.

  The moment he turned around, Abe tossed him his phone. Two quick shoves and the fingerless gloves were on his hands, the silver upon the knuckles glistening in the dim light.

  “We get her and we’re gone,” Abe said. He jabbed a finger into Mihail’s chest. “Even if I have to toss her kicking and screaming over my shoulder, we’re gone. Got it?”

  Mihail nodded and followed along behind him as Abe stalked towards the drawbridge, the tension in his shoulders seeping away to leave him with a predatory sway. The wood planks of the drawbridge trembled under Abe’s bulk. Before they passed through the archway, he stopped short and tilted his head up to catch sight of Draciana again.

  “Don’t suppose she’ll listen if ya ask her to come down,” he said.

  “I don’t speak Romanian.”

  Abe turned to him with a raised eyebrow but didn’t comment. Instead, he refocused on his grandmother and shouted out a few words, all the while gesturing to Mihail. So Mihail smiled, waved, and tried not to cringe as the firelight illuminated her scowl. Without a word, she took a step back and was lost to the shadows.

  “Maybe she’s coming down,” Mihail said with a hopefulness he didn’t feel.

  Abe growled in response. A low, distasteful sound that strummed with barely contained anger.

  “Or not,” Mihail muttered.

  He took a step forward only to have Abe snap a hand out and latch onto his wrist, rooting him in place like a shackle.

  “I know how to get up there,” Mihail insisted. Abe didn’t look at him, his fingers twitching with the restraint it took to keep his grip from crushing Mihail’s arm. “I’ll be in and out.”

  “Ya told me that ya got lost for hours last night.”

  “Literally hours?” Esther asked. “How does that even happen?”

  Mihail flinched at the sudden addition to their conversation. Even while he held the phone up so they could see, he had somehow forgotten that the call was connected. Mihail was about to protest when a deathly scream cracked the stillness. A moment later, it was cut abruptly short by a loud splash.

  “It pushed her,” Mihail snapped as he pushed forward, wrenching himself from Abe’s grip.

  It felt like his blood had been replaced with an icy slush as he bolted the last distance into the castle, ignoring Abe’s bellows for him to stop. Images flooded his mind. Her thick, cumbersome coat would turn as heavy as iron when wet. No matter how hard she kicked and struggled, she wouldn’t be able to compete with the weight dragging her down. Crossing the threshold was like crashing into a wall of frost. It robbed the fevered breath from his lungs and made him stagger.

  Abe might be big, but Mihail was fast, and kept himself beyond Abe’s reach as he sprinted for the lake. The water heaved and sloshed like an inky sludge. There was no sign of Bunica Draciana.

  “Stop!” Abe roared, as Mihail fell to his knees by the shoreline.

  Dropping the phone, he drove his hands into the water, groping blindly. Weeds and pond scum twisted around his fingers as the frigid water worked its way up his arms. Abe’s rough hands clutched onto the back of Mihail’s shirt. But, just as swiftly as the hand came, it disappeared. Looking over his shoulder, Mihail found Abe thrashing wildly, striking out at an invisible attacker.

  Something solid brushed across Mihail’s fingertips, making him whip back around. A figure hovered just below the surface. Its skin a rotten blue and its smile twisted into a grotesque snarl. Mihail snapped back but wasn’t quick enough.

  Decomposing hands wrapped around his neck, the flesh dripping from the bone, but the grip unrelenting. Dragged forward, Mihail had nothing to brace himself against as the hands forced him under the surface. Water filled his nose and mouth. It stung his eyes and froze his skin. The cobblestones slipped under the soles of his sneakers, his grasp was weak as he tried to pull himself back up. He couldn’t get a grip, couldn’t hold out. His body overrode his mind and he gasped with a desperate need for air. Lake water poured down his throat to cluster in his lungs.

  As his eyes began to blur, rough hands wrapped around his waist and yanked him up. The hands clawed at his neck, gouging grooves as he was pulled free. Hot blood wept from the wounds to scorch his frozen skin. Abe’s arms squeezed him to the point of pain as he pulled him off of his feet. The moment Mihail choked down a breath of air, Abe tossed him.

  He barely had time to register the sensation of flying before he was crashing down against the cobblestones. Pain rattled through him as he bounced. Sliding to a stop, he looked up to see Abe thrashing once more. Mihail couldn’t see what he was battling, but he moved as if he had pulled something off of his back. Putting all of his weight behind it, Abe drove down onto one knee, his fist crashing into the ground. Plumes of fire exploded out of the point of contact, lapping up Abe’s arm before crackling into nothingness.

  “Abe!” his parents’ voices screamed over the phone line.

  “I’m fine,” he assured, chest heaving and sweat glistening across his brow.

  He tossed the phone to Mihail. Catching it distracted Mihail enough that he didn’t notice Abe closing in until he was on him. Snatching up a handful of his hair, Abe roughly yanked his head back. The motion pulled on the wounds, forcing out a fresh wave of hot blood and making him choke on the water that worked its way out of his lungs. With their faces only inches apart, Abe snarled.

  “I ain’t dyin’ here because ya can’t do what ya told. Fall in line or I’ll lock ya in my truck. Got it?�
�

  “Got it,” Mihail croaked.

  The anger fell from his gaze as he pulled Mihail’s head from side to side. The touch was almost gentle as he studied the marks.

  “They’re not deep.” Letting go of his hair, Abe patted his cheek and crouched down so they were at eye level. “Ya okay?”

  Mihail nodded lightly and drew in a deep breath. It was almost weird to feel it hitting his lungs.

  “Ya can wait outside.”

  “No,” he said. “I’m good.”

  “What is going on?” Duncan asked. “Someone talk to us.”

  Mihail’s insides felt like they were on fire even while his skin numbed. Lifting the phone was an odd mix of effortlessness and struggle.

  “We’re fine,” Abe said. “Just an infestation. Last night makes a bit more sense now.”

  Abe was already up and moving, readjusting his gloves and rolling his shoulders as he paced across the space. Pushing up onto his knees, Mihail turned the phone around to grab the worried parents’ gaze.

  “What is he talking about?”

  Duncan was quick with a visual aid, lifting up a book to display the figure of a contorted creature. It looked like a devil crossbred with a dog. The picture showed it on all fours, its legs long and as thin as its twisting tail, glaring at him with tiny eyes hidden beneath a heavy, horned brow. It was only ink and paper, but it sent a tendril of fear coursing through him all the same.

  “They’re known by a few names. Gremlins, little devils, stuff like that,” Esther explained. “Think of them like demonic roaches. Where there’s one, there’s hundreds.”

  Mihail couldn’t comprehend that. “Those things are here? Are they dangerous?”

  “They can be,” Duncan said. “Mostly, they like creating confusion. Disorientation. These guys could have easily kept you running in circles without realizing it.”

  Mihail’s thoughts staggered to a halt. They were with me last night and I never knew. I didn’t know. His spiraling thoughts shattered as he realized something.

  “They stopped as soon as I found the doll.”

  Instantly, Abe’s parents began to insist that they locate the doll, but Abe never turned. His attention was fixed on something a few feet away. Mihail searched the space but couldn’t find anything that would merit such attention. How many monsters are here that I never knew of?

  “Zeisele,” Esther said. “What are you seeing?”

  Mihail stumbled as he got to his feet and walked cautiously to Abe’s side, all the while keeping the phone high enough for his parents to see. The thin fabric of his flannel shirt and the dim light couldn’t conceal the tension that flooded Abe’s back.

  “Zeisele, what do you see?”

  Abe’s voice was soft as he answered, “Mihail. I see Mihail.”

  Chapter 11

  The air squeezed from Mihail’s lungs as Abe continued to stare and Esther continued to prompt him. His mind screamed questions that never made it to his lips. Abe seemed to visibly shake off his surprise before drawing in a deep breath.

  “I see Mihail. Maybe a few years older than he is now, it’s hard to tell. He’s in his death state.”

  “What’s a death state?” Mihail whispered.

  Esther shushed him but Duncan answered, “When a ghost looks like they did at the moment of death.”

  After a moment of blind panic that this was a death omen, another option bubbled up in his mind. His hand snapped out to grab Abe’s forearm.

  “I’m named after my grandfather. He went missing before I was born. Could it be him? We look alike.”

  “Abe?” Duncan pressed.

  A hard shudder rippled across Abe’s shoulders. Mihail hadn’t realized that Abe had moved until one thick arm stood between him and whatever Abe was staring at.

  “Is it my grandfather?”

  “Yeah,” Abe said at last. “I think it is.”

  “Oh my God.” Mihail’s grip tightened on Abe’s arm to keep him from doubling over. All this time, all these years. He’s been stuck here.

  Esther’s voice brought him back. He blinked, finding hot tears welling around the corners of his eyes, and scanned the area. It seemed cruel that Abe got to see his grandfather, but he couldn’t.

  “What is he saying?” Esther was asking.

  Abe threw a remorseful look to Mihail before answering, “He can’t speak. His mouth is … it’s sewn shut.”

  The significance was lost on Mihail and it once again fell on Duncan to explain.

  “It’s an old ritual designed to keep the spirit from sharing their stories and finding peace.”

  “Someone deliberately made him a ghost?” Mihail asked.

  His mind spiraled with thoughts of how and why that could have happened. It was Abe’s voice that brought him back.

  “He keeps pointing to his chest,” Abe said as he inched closer. “No, his jacket. Does anyone know the significance of a bear standing on its hind legs?”

  “In what context?” Duncan asked.

  “It’s embossed into the buttons of his jacket. He keeps pointing to ‘em.”

  “Buttons?” Esther said.

  Abe nodded, his brow furrowed. “Metal ones.”

  Mihail shoved a hand into his pocket and pulled out his lucky button. Keeping it nestled on the palm of his hand, he held it on display for Abe.

  “Like this one?”

  Abe only needed a glance. “Where did you get that?”

  “I’ve always had it. It’s my good luck charm.”

  “Damn it,” Abe said as he winced.

  “What?” Mihail could barely keep himself contained as his frustration mounted.

  “He was murdered,” Abe said at last. “You found his body but were probably too young to properly recall it. He’s still somewhere in here.”

  Mihail didn’t know what to protest first. He clenched his fist until the edges of the button dug against his cut. The pain wasn’t enough to make him release his grip. I found him. I left him. He’s still here because of me.

  “That’s not possible. Grandma has lived here all this time. She would have found him.”

  “Not unless the infestation allowed it,” Duncan said.

  Mihail shook his head rapidly, as if he could shove the thoughts out of his skull before he had to think about them. He didn’t stop until Abe forced him to.

  “Go wait in the truck. I’ll find her.”

  His parents protested the words instantly but Abe ignored them.

  “Go on!”

  “You said it wasn’t safe,” Mihail said.

  “That don’t matter now.”

  “I can do this.” Mihail took a deep breath before he was able to meet Abe’s eyes. “I’m okay and it’ll be quicker with the two of us.”

  Abe didn’t look convinced.

  “I’m okay,” he insisted.

  “Where’s your Taser?” he challenged.

  Mihail hadn’t missed the weight of it in his hand until Abe mentioned it. With the button in one hand and the phone in the other, he couldn’t recall where he had left it. A quick scan found it back by the water’s edge. Abe was the one who retrieved it. Stalking back, he didn’t break stride as he shoved the Taser back into Mihail’s hand. His other hand grabbed the back of Mihail’s shirt. It was becoming a familiar sensation. This time, there was no hesitation in his stride. He forced Mihail into a run as they approached the main doors.

  “The door to the walkway is over there,” Mihail protested.

  But Abe was already pushing their way through the door. One stride in and the insistent pressure of Abe’s hand on his back was gone. Mihail’s stomach turned to a hard lump. Nothing he had witnessed so far had scared him as much as seeing fear twisting up Abe’s face. Fear and revulsion. With wide eyes, he looked around the main foyer, his hands clenching into fists as his breathing sped up.

  “What is it?” Mihail asked.

  “Bodies.” Abe’s throat bobbed as he swallowed thickly. “They’re covering the walls, s
titched to each other like some demented patchwork quilt.”

  Mihail couldn’t resist casting his eyes around the room. The sheer expanse of the space made him feel tiny. He couldn’t fathom how many it would take to fill the space. Hundreds. Maybe thousands. Abe took another breath, one hand rising to his nose as if catching a putrid scent. He looked like he was about to gag but forced himself to continue.

  “They can’t move. Can’t talk.”

  “Are they cursed?” Esther asked. “Or trophies?”

  Abe shook his head. “They’re mortar. Built into the walls themselves.”

  “What the hell is this place?” Esther said.

  With a gasped moan, Abe doubled forward, bracing one hand on his knee and the other against his stomach. His whole body arched as he dry heaved, but he managed to keep from throwing up. He flinched when Mihail placed a hand between his shoulder blades, the gesture pressing the butt of the Taser against his spine. Abe tried to wave him off.

  “The stench,” he said by way of explanation.

  “I hear that smiling helps,” Mihail said.

  Mihail felt Abe’s laugh more than heard it. “Smartass.”

  Reeling back, Abe straightened and allowed Mihail to start moving again by giving him a gentle nudge.

  “Where’s the doll?”

  “We need to find my grandmother first,” Mihail protested.

  One sharp glare was enough to remind Mihail of their agreement. Follow orders or get out of the way. So Mihail nodded and began to lead the way. Once they were out of the main foyer, Abe could stand on his own again. It allowed them to move at a faster pace through the seemingly endless halls. Mihail traced the path as well as he could remember. But as they rounded a corner, they both locked their knees and brought themselves to a stop.

  A woman stood at the far end of the hallway, her feet not touching the ground as tendrils of dark hair drifted as if on a tide. Water dripped from her, the sight making Mihail reel and Abe gag.

  “Ya see her, too?”

  Mihail could only nod but Abe seemed to understand well enough. The woman in blue spread her arms wide and began to drift down the hallways towards them.

  “We need to go,” Abe said, his fingers tightening on the back of Mihail’s neck.